Steve Distante is the founder and Chief Disruption Officer of Impact U. When Steve first began cultivating a passion for impact investing, he quickly realized that learning about the topic was not as easy or accessible as it should be. Similar terms like SRI, ESG and sustainable investing were creating confusion and turning some investors away from impact investing. In 2016, Steve launched Impact U to provide a unified platform where impact investing experts and thought leaders could collaborate, share experiences and teach impactful ways of investing.

In addition to leading Impact U, Steve is the CEO (or as likes to say, “Chief Entrepreneurial Officer”) of Vanderbilt Financial Group, an Independent Broker Dealer and Registered Investment Advisory that manages over $1 billion in assets. As a thought leader in the impact space, Steve takes great pride in using his business as a force for good to enhance the community and make a positive impact as it grows. For example, in 2013, he completely renovated Vanderbilt Financial Group’s headquarters to make it more energy efficient. The environmental impact reductions achieved through the renovation made it Long Island’s first LEED Platinum Certified office building.

Steve is also a proud member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), a global group comprised of over 14,000 entrepreneurs worldwide. He currently serves as President of the newly formed Long Island Chapter and was named EO’s Global Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) in September 2017.